G'day mate! .... from Australia 🇦🇺

[Aussie Bloke]

Hello,

I'm from Australia and still reasonably new to the hobby.

Here is my tank.

2 weeks ago, I removed the 18 month old ADA Version II aqua soil and replaced it with an inert substrate, 2-3mm black coarse sand.

I'm currently using tap water.

My current dosing targets are 20ppm NO3, 6ppm PO4 and 30ppm K. I target dose the new water when I do a water change. I'm also using Burr's Micro's as per recommended dose.

pH drop is about 1.4.

2 x Week Aqua a430 Pro lights.

Something I struggle with still is plant placement and trimming techniques.

Looking forward to getting more involved in this forum.

Cheers!

 

[bazz]

Welcome mate!

Something I struggle with still is plant placement

I'm certainly not here to tell you what to do but for starters the Myriophyllum Tuberculatum and Cabomba Piauhyensis (if that's what they are) are probably better off placed towards the rear of the tank as they can both rapidly grow to more than half a metre in length.
Looking good though!

Looking forward to getting more involved in this forum.

👍

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,
G'day and welcome to UKAPS. That looks a nice range of plants.

2 weeks ago, I removed the 18 month old ADA Version II aqua soil and replaced it with an inert substrate, 2-3mm black coarse sand.

I'm currently using tap water.

Is the new growth on <"some of the plants pale">? It looks like it in the photo, but the colour might just be washed out by the light, and assuming they have pale new growth? Were they like that before you changed substrate?

cheers Darrel

 

[Cazza]

G'day! Nice setup!

 

[PARAGUAY]

Welcome🙂

 

[mlgt]

Hello and welcome 🙂

 

[Mike Singh]

G’day! Where in Australia are you based? Lovely plants and tank.

 

[Guest]

Welcome 🙂

 

[MichaelJ]

Welcome to UKAPS! 🙂

Cheers,
Michael

 

[sparkyweasel]

Welcome! 🙂

 

[Aussie Bloke]

Hi all,
G'day and welcome to UKAPS. That looks a nice range of plants.

Is the new growth on <"some of the plants pale">? It looks like it in the photo, but the colour might just be washed out by the light, and assuming they have pale new growth? Were they like that before you changed substrate?

cheers Darrel

I noticed the new growth was pale.. it wasn't like that before substrate change, no.

G’day! Where in Australia are you based? Lovely plants and tank.

Hi, I live in Maitland, about 1 and a half hours north of Sydney

Welcome mate!

I'm certainly not here to tell you what to do but for starters the Myriophyllum Tuberculatum and Cabomba Piauhyensis (if that's what they are) are probably better off placed towards the rear of the tank as they can both rapidly grow to more than half a metre in length.
Looking good though!

👍

Yes, I know thank you.. I was just trying out different positions.. thank you though

Welcome mate!

I'm certainly not here to tell you what to do but for starters the Myriophyllum Tuberculatum and Cabomba Piauhyensis (if that's what they are) are probably better off placed towards the rear of the tank as they can both rapidly grow to more than half a metre in length.
Looking good though!

👍

Cabomba Furcata and Myriophyllum Roraima Bronze

Welcome 🙂

Thank you 😊

Welcome to UKAPS! 🙂

Cheers,
Michael

Thank you 😊

Welcome! 🙂

Thank you 😊

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

I noticed the new growth was pale.. it wasn't like that before substrate change, no.

It is likely to be a change in iron (Fe++(+)) availability. Iron is a nutrient that forms a lot of insoluble compounds, is an essential component of chlorophyll and is immobile in the plant.

This means that if iron becomes unavailable? Chlorosis develops.

More to follow.

cheers Darrel

 

[Aussie Bloke]

Hi all,

It is likely to be a change in iron (Fe++(+)) availability. Iron is a nutrient that forms a lot of insoluble compounds, is an essential component of chlorophyll and is immobile in the plant.

This means that if iron becomes unavailable? Chlorosis develops.

More to follow.

cheers Darrel

That's interesting.
I have kept dosing exactly the same though. Same dosing now, and same dosing before the sub change.
Are you saying the substrate change has something to do with the availability of iron?
I'd be interested to hear your thoughts, cheers

 

[Aussie Bloke]

That's interesting.
I have kept dosing exactly the same though. Same dosing now, and same dosing before the sub change.
Are you saying the substrate change has something to do with the availability of iron?
I'd be interested to hear your thoughts, cheers

Actually, I was dosing micros daily prior to the sub change. Since the sub change, I've followed the recommendations on Burr's micros of 3 x per week.
The total amount of micros per week hasn't changed, but the frequency has.

Perhaps I should return to the daily dose instead of the 3 doses per week?

Maybe the iron isn't hanging around long enough for the plants, and dosing micros daily would be better?

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

I have kept dosing exactly the same though. Same dosing now, and same dosing before the sub change.
Are you saying the substrate change has something to do with the availability of iron?

It is likely. We don't know exactly what happens in the substrate, but as it matures you get zones of <"fluctuating REDOX values"> that make iron (Fe++(+)) more readily plant available. The ADA substrate may also have still had some ability to soften the water, which would make iron more soluble.

Have a look at <"When the Duckweed Index breaks down">, and the next two posts <"........... and why we need to talk about iron (Fe)"> & <"We've talked about iron deficiency, but what are going to do about it?">.

Perhaps I should return to the daily dose instead of the 3 doses per week?

Maybe the iron isn't hanging around long enough for the plants, and dosing micros daily would be better?

Possibly, but it would still depend on the chelator for iron.

cheers Darrel

 

[Aussie Bloke]

Hi all,

It is likely. We don't know exactly what happens in the substrate, but as it matures you get zones of <"fluctuating REDOX values"> that make iron (Fe++(+)) more readily plant available. The ADA substrate may also have still had some ability to soften the water, which would make iron more soluble.

Have a look at <"When the Duckweed Index breaks down">, and the next two posts <"........... and why we need to talk about iron (Fe)"> & <"We've talked about iron deficiency, but what are going to do about it?">.

Possibly, but it would still depend on the chelator for iron.

cheers Darrel

Thank you for your responses and the links. I'll be sure to read them thoroughly.

My degassed tank pH is 7.4
CO2 injection drops it to 6.
About 3 dKH

Here is the recommendation for the micros I use..

" Suggested dose is 2 ML per 10 gallons 3x per week along with 50-60% water changes

One dose adds .12 ppm Fe DTPA, .03 ppm Fe gluconate, along with all the other essential micronutrients plus a little bit of Ni "

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

About 3 dKH ...........
One dose adds .12 ppm Fe DTPA, .03 ppm Fe gluconate, along with all the other essential micronutrients plus a little bit of Ni "

That should be fine, so I'm not quite sure why it has happened in your low alkalinity water.

Usually problems with iron availability happen in harder, more alkaline water.

The ferrous gluconate may have come out of solution, but the FeDTPA should be OK.

Cheers Darrel